


Christmas At The Great Northern

by kcstories



Category: Twin Peaks
Genre: Canon Divergence, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-12-06
Updated: 2007-12-06
Packaged: 2017-10-10 10:13:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/98590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kcstories/pseuds/kcstories
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After dinner, Special Agent Dale Cooper retreats to his room, but not for long</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christmas At The Great Northern

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: AU-ish. Hint of fluff and silliness.   
> A/N: The "Twin Peaks" universe belongs to David Lynch, Mark Frost et al.

"Diane, I just got back from a highly exquisite Christmas Eve dinner. The Great Northern decided to take the British route, and I've got to say that it was a wise choice; a very wise choice on their part. The carrot soup was excellent: wholesome, home made, the kind your mother would want the recipe for, and it was followed by stuffed turkey with all the trimmings. Damn fine turkey, cooked to perfection. The skin wasn't too greasy or too tough, just the right kind of crispy with a delicious touch of honey. Then there were chestnuts too, Diane. Perfectly roasted and I've got to tell you, bigger than I've ever seen them. I wonder if they're from a forest near here, though I don't recall seeing any chestnut trees; Maple yes, and those incredible Douglas Firs I told you about, not chestnuts. I must make a mental note to ask Benjamin Horne about this the next time I see him—"

Dale Cooper paused for a moment and then continued with a satisfied grin, "But that wasn't the best part... No, we're getting to that. The best part was the cake they served for dessert; a scrumptious Yule Log, all chocolate and butter, decorated with almonds and soft on the inside, clearly freshly baked, simply sublime. Damn fine cake, Diane, and I don't mind telling you that I'll be off for a stroll shortly. Work off some calories. I may have just raised my cholesterol levels to the ceiling too, but you know what they say, Christmas only comes once a year, and—"

An unexpected knock at the door interrupted his enthusiastic monologue.

"I believe I have a visitor," he said. "I'll continue this later. Meanwhile, I can go on the record and highly recommend Christmas Eve at the Great Northern if you ever find yourself in this neck of the woods over the Holidays."

He switched off his Dictaphone and placed it on the nightstand.

"Come in," he called out, keeping one eye on his gun that was lying nearby, just in case.

Audrey Horne was a vision in red. "Hello, Agent Cooper," she spoke in a husky voice. "You left the party early. There wasn't anything wrong with the food, was there?"

"The food was exquisite, Audrey," he replied with a smile. "Please give the chef my compliments."

"Of course, but to be honest... that's not the only reason I came here."

"Oh?" He frowned. "Is there some kind of trouble?"

"Well—" she twisted her lips into something akin to a pout, "—sort of. You see, Agent Cooper, there I was, downstairs all by my lonesome self, with absolutely no one interesting to talk to or dance with."

"That's a shame, Audrey, but how about that young man of yours?"

"John left me for a rainforest," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Left you for a rainforest," he repeated with a frown. "That's certainly... different."

She bit her lip and nodded.

"Well, Audrey, flattered though I am, I do believe that we've had this type of conversation before, and—"

She chose to ignore that and remarked with a mischievous glint in her eye, "Come to think of it, Agent Cooper, I didn't see your... lady friend anywhere tonight either."

He hesitated a beat. "Annie," he then replied, almost flinching when he mentioned the name, "returned to the convent yesterday. She didn't feel that the outside world... the real world was a place she would be comfortable living in."

"Wow," Audrey said with an exaggerated sigh, "I only had to compete with the Brazilian Amazon, you had to go up against God Himself... No wonder you're hiding in your room."

"I'm not hiding," he was quick to protest.

"Really?" She crossed her arms and threw him a challenging look. "Because it sure looks that way from where I'm standing."

He frowned. Was he hiding, he wondered?

Definitely not, he decided. He was an FBI agent. They didn't hide. They retreated. Yes, 'retreated' might work. Or he could be meditating, thinking about and trying to solve the Laura Palmer case.

What was it going to be – Both? Either?

Whatever. She wasn't going to buy any of it. She was shrewd, this one, and besides, if he were fully honest about the matter, he really wouldn't mind some company tonight. Some intelligent, witty, attractive company...

Hold that thought.

"So you require a dance partner, do you, Miss Horne?" he said.

She nodded slowly. "That's right, and there's no one suitable available downstairs, unless I start whirling Leo Johnson around, but that would look sort of desperate, don't you think? Not to mention, he drools."

Picturing the scene in his mind, he stated, "Not an appealing option at all, no."

She slowly shook her head.

"All right then, Miss Horne," he said, extending his right hand. "Shall we?"

She smiled. "We shall."

A few minutes later on the dance floor, she considered that it might be only for one night and just the one dance.

But right now, she could lean her head against his shoulder and close her eyes and pretend that she finally had everything she'd ever dreamed of.

It was more than she'd hoped for.


End file.
